Expansion chamber conbtbuction



Feb. 20, 1940. N v N 2,191,303

EXPANS I ON CHAMBER CONSTRUCTI ON Filed Aug. 1, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

.lNVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1940. A. VAN VEEN EXPANSION CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 VENTOR 4.1414760 ATTORNEY 7 v \\\\\\b N\\\\\ k m V N? z :1 4

. Patented Feb. 20,1940

UNITED STATES EXPANSION CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION Anton Van Veen, West Hartford, Conn, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 1, 1935, sci-mm. 34,244 3 Claims. (01'. 62-126) This invention relates to an expansion chamber of novel construction, more particularly to an expansion chamber which may be arranged in heat seal wrappingmachines to engage and separated by perforated plates to provide a sinu- I ous conduit for the refrigerant in order to assure uniform chilling of the chamber. With this and other objects not specifically mentioned in view the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings which form 8.

part of this specification and inwhich like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts: 7

Fig. 1 is a partial side view of a wrapping machine equipped with a set of the improved expansion or cooling chambers;

Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation of one of the improved expansion or cooling chambers; and 1 Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Generally stated, in the embodiment of the inend folds of packages, each including an expansion chamber having an inlet and outlet and arranged to directly engage and chill heat-sealed folds of the packages. and refrigerating means connected to the inlet of the chamber to deliver refrigerant thereto, whereby vaporization of the refrigerant therein will chill the same, said refrigerating means being alsoconnected to said outlet -.to remove vaporized refrigerant and condense the same, said chamber having a. sinuous conduit for the refrigerant, between said inlet and outlet, to assure uniform chilling of the expansion chamber. In the best constructions contemplated the expansion chamber includes an assemblage of internally grooved bars separated by perforated plates, the intermediate bars being perforated to provide, together with said grooves,

a sinuous duct for the refrigerant therethrough. I'L'hese various means and parts may be widely varied in. construction for the particular construction selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments thereof. "fl'he invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the particular device shown and described.

Referring to Fig. 1, in which the invention is exemplified in an improved cooling unit for heat seal wrapping machines of well known type, the tie-bars I 0 of the machine frame each carry bearings II and I2 which support the spindles I 3 and I4, respectively. Qn each end of spindles l3 and I4 are loosely mountedsets of arms l5 and I6 which at their upper ends are fastened to bars H. The bars I! each support one of the brackets l8 which are each provided with horizontally extending arms l9 carrying expansion chambers 20 and I20 which constitute. the side cooling chambers which serve to chill the heat sealed end foldsof the packages.

The turning of a handle 2| mounted on one end of spindle 13, which is oppositely threaded at its ends into the blocks l I and arms l5, rctates a sprocket 22 over which runs a chain 23 trained over a sprocket 24 mounted on the spindie I which is likewise oppositely threaded at its ends into the blocks 12 and arms Hi. It will be seen that the above arrangement permits in or out adjustment of the chambers 20 and I20, thus providing means for setting the same for different lengths of packages.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, each of the improved expansion chambers preferably consists of a series of bars 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d which are provided with longitudinal grooves and separated by. plates 20a in one end of which are formed the apertures 25. The bars 20b and 200 are grooved at both their top and bottom, and each of webs 26 so formed have ports 21 suiliciently, spaced from the ports 25 to cause the refrigerant to flow over the entire length of the grooves in the bars 20b and 20c. An inlet 28 is provided communicating with the groove in the bar 200, the refrigerant entering through said inlet and flowing .over the entire length of the grooves in the different bars and leaving through an outlet 29 in bar 20d. An advantage of this type of chamber is that a sinuous conduit is provided for the refrigerant, wherefore uniform chilling of the expansion chamber is obtained. 7

The bars 20a, 20b, 20c and 2011, when assembled, are sweated to the retaining plates Me. For this purpose the adjacent outer edges of the bars are slightly recessed, permitting the solder to lodge in the recesses and thus asuring a permanently united expansion chamber. For easier handling of these parts during assembly, the plates We are made longer and wider than necessary. The projecting portions c indicated by I the condenser 33 and the receiver 34 contain the refrigerant which has condensed and collected therein. The refrigerant in the upper coils of the condenser is'in a gaseous state under pressure suflicient to prevent the condensed refrigerant. from boiling or vaporization. This gas pressure pushes down upon the liquid refrigerant in the lower coils of the condenser and the receiver and forces it up the flexible feed tubes 35 leading to the side expansion chambers 20, and through a flexible branch line 35' leading to the bottom expansion chamber 30. The tubes 35 and .35 at a point close to where they enter their respective expansion chambers, are equipped with expansion valves 36 which regulate the flow of the refrigerant and permit only a small stream of refrigerant to enter the expansion chambers 20 and 30 wherein the refrigerant vaporizes and absorbs heat therefrom, the expansion valves being controlled by thermostats (not shown) mounted on the return lines 40 and 40.

A constantsupply of liquid refrigerant is maintained in the receiver 34 by a dual pressure control 31 located in' a pipe connected across the inlet and outlet of a compressor 39 and controlling the cutout circuit of a motor (not shown) to start the motor which, by means of a belt 38, drives the compressorwhereby the vaporized refrigerant is pumped out of the expansion chambers and compressed and delivered through the flexible conduit 40 to the condenser 13 wherein it is re-condensed, the return line 40 being connected to the inlet of the compressor. A blast of air sent over the condenser coils by-means of a fan attached to the motor shaft (not shown) hastens this process of condensation. Since the construction and operation of the refrigerating unit just describedis of conventional construction further description thereof herein is deemed unnecessary.

The package, having been wrapped and the ends of the wrapper having been properly folded and the edges overlapped to form a bottom seam, by suitable means (not shown), is pushed across a bottom sealing plate 42 and between a set of side heater members 43, which heat seal the bottom seam and endfolds of the packages. The packages, upon emerging from the heating chamber, enter into the cooling unit consisting of the side expansion chambers 20 and the bottom expansion chamber ill, and the contact of the packages with these chambers chills the heat-sealed end folds and bottom seam of the package.

It should be noted that one of the advantages of the present expansion chamber construction is that the square, flat faced elements from which the chamber is built up provide flat faces for forming the operating sealing face of the completed cooled sealing element. This renders this type of expansion" chamber more eflicient' on account of having a greater cooling surface in contact with the package than would, for instance, an expansion chamber assembled of tubing. Moreover, the present construction eliminates any union between a plate engaging the packages and an expansion chamber or coil connected or united therewith, and hence provides for freer conduction between the surface engaging the package and the interior of the chamber. It should. of course, be understood that the elements from which the sealing chamber and plate are built up may be secured together in other suitable ways than by soldering, as for instance brazing.

What is claimed is:

-1. A heat exchange unit for a sealing mechanism of the class described, adapted to circulate a refrigerant, said unit comprising an assemblage of internally grooved bars, and means to bond the bars, said bars being perforated to provide together with said grooves a duct for the refrigerant through the unit, and said bars having flat external faces lying in a common plane-to engage a heated package seal over an extended area and congeal the same.

2. An expansion unit for use as a chill in a heat exchanging system of the class described,

said unit comprising a plate-like or block-like structure provided with an enclosed cavity having an inlet and an outlet adapted to beconnected to a refrigerating mechanism to permit delivery of a refrigerant to the unit, whereby vaporization of the refrigerant in said cavity will chill the block and the vaporized refrigerant may be removed through said outlet, said plate'or block being fabricated of an assemblage of internally grooved bars and perforated plates separating said bars, said intermediate bars being perforated to provide together with said grooves a duct for the refrigerant from the inlet to the outlet. and said inlet and outlet being disposed in said outermost bars respectively and in communication with the internal grooves thereof.

3. A heat exchange unit for a sealing mechanism of the class described, adapted to circulate a refrigerant, said unit comprising an assemblage of internally grooved bars and perforated plates separating said bars, said bars being bonded to said plates and the intermediate bars bein perforated to provide together with said grooves a duct for the refrigerant through the unit, said bars and plates having flat external faces lying in a common plane to engage a heated package seal over an extended area and congeal the same.

- ANTON VAN VEEN. 

